Fairy Stars
by Chrome Dream
Summary: An old mage has returned to Fairy Tail, better than before. Though her past still haunts her, she learns to forget and stand strong as a member of Team Natsu. Though her past catches up to her, will she fall to her darkness? NarutoXover SakuxGray.
1. Pilot

As the young woman boarded her train, she turned and waved at the person sending her off. Though her eyes gleamed with sadness, she gave her friend one last smile before slipping behind the closing doors. She stood there, watching her friend on the platform, even as the train began its journey into the next town. By the time the station was out of sight, the girl left her spot from the doors to find a seat in the closest cart. She found a window seat near a elderly man who was fast asleep in his chair, and quietly slipped in beside him.

The world seemed to have zipped past her as she stared out the window. Trees and buildings of different colors came and went, serving as the girl's entertainment for more than a few hours. Eventually, she turned away and dug a hand into the small bag she carried along with her, searching for the poetry book her friend had given her for her travels.

Adjusting the silver rectangular glasses on her face, the girl squirmed further into her seat until she was completely comfortable. Everything seemed to disappear as she read, leaving her in the fantasy of the book's magical tales.

_I remember that day, _she read.

_In the third week of May._

_I saw you._

Shivers ran down the girl's body, as if the love of her life were sitting beside her, whispering the very same words in her ear. The thought made her heart race and her face flush uncontrollably.

_I knew from the start._

_That we could never part._

_No matter what I had to go through._

The young girl was so drawn into her book, that she hardly realized the train had came to a halt at the very last stop. Her dazzling emerald eyes danced from side to side, catching every beautiful word the page had to hold. As she was reading, she failed to notice that elderly man had began to awake. His rosy plump cheeks and the small hiccup he gave was more than enough evidence to show he was more than just little intoxicated. However, she didn't seem to notice. Too enraptured in her book to see him staring seductively at her.

_I have never heard you speak._

_Though I know if I do, I might go weak._

_Oh how I how I hope you return this love too._

It was when a pair of dry and cracked lips pressed to her's that made the girl wake from her fantasy. Her emerald eyes darted to the side, right where the elderly man, now awake, sat kissing her. His pale and pasty face held a tint of pink as he leaned in closer. With growing anger, the young girl watched as the elder raised his frail hands, in hopes of wrapping them around her thin waist.

_Her eyes stared into mine._

_As our hands wove and interwined._

_Our bodies moving together, as if on cue._

Slowly, she too lifted her hands and gently pulled her glasses on top of her head. Her pink bangs curled with the rest of her lucious hair, leaving a fine view of her slightly large forehead. Her anger seemingly increasing the longer her she sat reveled in her disgust.

With the strength any man would be proud of, the young girl pulled her tightly clenched fist back, and jabbed the elderly man straight through the window. From what she could see, she didnt hit the man too hard, but she was sure he would have a mighty bruise for more than just a few days. A smirk found its way on her lips as she pumped her fist backwards. A silent cheer that showed that her training was finally starting to pay off.

Footsteps echoed down the hall as the girl turned to the door. The conductor and most of the train's staff stood before her, their eyes wide in shock at the sight of the girl and the familiar symbol in green on the back of her hand.

"That emblem!" The conductor gasped, pointing at the the girl as he shook with fear.

"A mage of Fairy Tail!" The youngest of the group gasped, though his eyes showed nothing but awe.

"Yeah?" The girl growled, her tone vicious and cold. The bubbly tone in her eyes disappeared, leaving emerald orbs dull and void of emotion. "Got a problem with that?"

"N-No!" The conductor stammered, the rest of his staff dead silent, as he pushed through them to give the pink haired girl space to leave. "Go right ahead, Mage Of Fairy Tail."

A muffled grunt left the girl, as she picked up her things, and slid through the door. Just before the leaving the train, she glanced at the conductor with a hard glare.

"You can call me Sakura." She snarled, just loud enough for her to hear them. She turned her attention to the oversized man, her attacker, that a few of the train's staff were trying to lift off of the train. She pointed a finger at him. "I would hope that you will do something about that one, or there will be problems. Are we clear?"

"Y-Yes, Sakura-sama!"They chorused in unison.

As she jumped down on to the platform, she slipped her glasses back over her eyes, and disappeared in the wave of people bustling about.

After a full month, Sakura Haruno, mage of Fairy Tail, has finally returned to her home.

* * *

><p>Lucy Heartfillia sighed happily as she enjoyed the tea Mirajane had presented her. The Fairy Tail guild was currently going through another one of their rare quiet days. Most mages were busy taking on missions while others simply lazed about, too tired or bored to do anything else. The Stellar mage was sure to use this day as an advantage before someone could come along and ruin it for her. Which usually happened everytime.<p>

"Hey, Lucy!" A familiar voice called, making Lucy sigh as she turned to greet the fiery mage.

"Hey, Natsu." Lucy managed to say before she found herself mumbling uncomfortably in Natsu Dragneel's chest. "Let's go on a mission, Lucy." The boy said bluntly.

With a strangled cry, the blonde knocked Natsu aside. "Dont stand so close to people you're talking to!"She cried.

"But _Lucy." _Natsu whinned, putting his hands on Lucy's shoulders. "I'm so _bored. _Let's go on a mission."

"No." Lucy said sternly, brushing Natsu hands away from her so she could return to her tea. She flinched when the cold Jasmine pressed to her lips. With a sigh she glared at the dark liquid in her cup. Just a moment a go she was perfectly in her own happy world and now the mood was gone and it was definitely all Natsu's fault.

"Today, all I want to do is relax so go on the mission by yourself." She told him.

Natsu, accompanied by his winged partner, Happy, gave the Stellar mage a tearful gaze. "B-But Lucy..."They whimpered, "Please come with us. We're a team, right?"

From the other side of the room, a block of ice flew through the air, knocking the pink haired Dragon Slayer in the head. In a fitted rage, Natsu twisted on his heel as fire ignited around him. "Who threw that!"He barked, his eyes scanning the room for his attacker. He stopped, however, when he spotted his dark haired rival, Gray Fullbuster, staring at him from his favorite table.

"Was it you, you pervert?" Natsu yelled. Gray merely huffed, his dark eyes looking for a fight. "So what if it was?"He challenged. "No means no, no matter where you are brat!"

A murmur of groans filled the room, as the two rivals stood and neared eachother.

"There they go again." Macao sighed, dodging a fire ball that was knocked his way.

Mirajane giggled from her spot behind the bar. "Well, what did you expect?"She said. "They are the best of friends."

"Best of _friends_?" The two chorused. "Who would want to be friends with this weakling!"

A wave of magic rushed through the room as both mages ignited their elemental magic between their hands. Natsu's flames brushed just below his ears, suddenly making half of the room extremely hot. From in front of him a mist of white swirled around Gray's upper torso, the tips of his clothes freezing on the spot.

"Let's end this!"Natsu growled, shooting forward with his fiery fist raised in the air.

Gray grunted his approval and also shot forward, arms in position to create another frozen masterpiece.

Lucy braced herself for the impact and turned away. It was never a good idea to be around when those two had a fight. It only meant chaos.

A sigh resounded from outside, making Lucy look up in surprise. That was definately the sound she was expecting to hear when the fire and ice mages colidded. But there wasnt a collision. Instead, both boys were suddenly floating in the air, arms still head in offensive stance though they were completely frozen in place. Lucy turned, spotting a shadowed figure standing in the front door. She noticed how everyone, especially Natsu, Erza, and Gray seemed to tense as the figure came closer. Once inside the guild and out of the sun, the blonde was able to get a closer look at their guest. The figure was a woman with silky pink hair lighter than Natsu's. It was long but shorter than Erza's, reaching just to the middle of her back. Though the girl was giving off a murderous piece of magic, Lucy had to admit that the outfit she wore was just adorable. The semi-short black and red plaid skirt she wore worked her curves nicely. As did her white button up dress shirt and matching red sweater vest. A small pendant, the shape of Fairy Tail's emblem, was wrapped around her neck in a chrome choker.

The girl glared furiously at the two mages ascended in the air, more than likely caused from her glowing hand. "Why don't you two ever listen to me?" She growled, clutching the white magical book that had suddenly 'poofed' into her free hand.

Natsu and Gray purposely ignored her question, eyes growing wide as smiles etched onto their faces. "Sakura!"They exclaimed loudly. The magical lock that held them in the air suddennly disappeared, allowing them to drop to the ground, and run to greet the newcomer.

"You're back!"Natsu cheered, arms open for a hug. He managed to meet 'Sakura' first, something he soon regretted afterward. In the minute he was nearly a foot away from her, the girl tucked her glasses on her head, and cocked her fist back. Unfortunately for Natsu, it was too late for him to dodge the fist from shooting towards his face.

"Listen when someone's scolding you!" Sakura shouted, driving her fist far into Natsu's face and sending him flying into the wall.

"K. O. " Happy cheered in the background.

"Dont cheer for that!"Lucy cried.

Sakura huffed, her fist shaking with anger. There was nothing but pure death in Sakura's eyes now that her glasses were off, Lucy noted. "I leave you two alone for one month and you're already trying to tear the place apart!Don't you know its dangerous to mix high magical elements together, especially when their molecular compounds are polar opposities!"The girl ranted, waving her hand that currently wasnt occupied by her magic book. "The collision could be catastrophic and probably blow the guild in two!"

"Erza!" The pink haired girl screamed, directing her glare at the scarlette not too far from her. "I thought you were watching them so they didnt do things like this!"

"I-I..." The mage whimpered, too shocked for words.

"I left because I could trust you to keep them from making a mess!"Sakura barked.

"And Gray!" Sakura paused, taking the time to sense Gray's ice cold magic, which just so happened to be coming from behind her. She turned on her heel, eyes set with anger and rage, to reprimand the ice mage. She spotted a dark blur behind her and steadied herself for a good shout. But before she could open her mouth to say another word, the dark blur known as Gray, grabbed onto her glasses and slipped them over her shocked eyes. In an instant, Sakura's temper had disappeared.

"Welcome back."The ice mage said simply, a small smile on his face.

It took awhile for Sakura to come to her senses as she stammered out a small, "I'm home."

Lucy barely moved out of the way as Natsu jumped into the air, fueled by his magical fire, and tackled the pink haired girl into a hug. Instead of sending another punch to his face, Sakura twisted around and wrapped her arms lovingly around his neck. Being together like that made the two look exactly like brother and sister, Lucy thought.

Absentmindedly, the blonde turned to Mirajane giggling behind the counter as the rest of the guild came to greet the strange girl. "Who's that?"

Mirajane turned to her and smiled softly."Ahh, that's right, Lucy. You've only been here a few weeks so you've never met Sakura-chan. She left to train about a month ago, two weeks before you got here."

"She joined Fairy Tail at the same age Erza and Gray did." Happy said,"Right before me!"

"Happy!"Sakura called, as she detached herself from Natsu and walked over to blue cat."Aren't you going to give me a hug too!"

"Nyah!" In an instant, the blue cat was found tucked in Sakura's arms, smiling at the warmth she gave off. Sakura chuckled softly at the cat and turned her attention to Lucy. The Stellar Mage tensed under her gaze, fearing that if she made one mistake, she would get yelled at just like the others did before.

"Hi, I'm Sakura. Are you new here?"Sakura asked, ignoring the way the blonde was turning pale.

"This is Lucy." Mirajane piped in, seeing as Lucy couldn't seem to do it for herself. "She's new to Fairy Tail."

"It's nice to meet you, Lucy." Sakura said with a charming smile as she stuck her hand out for Lucy to take. She waited patiently as Lucy wearily shook her hand until slowly releasing it.

Gray suddenly took a seat beside Lucy and turned to face Sakura. "So, how did your training go?"

Sakura smiled at him as she shifted Happy in her arms. Much to Lucy's amazement, the cat had suddenly fallen asleep. "It went well. My teacher was a little rough but he really did help me."

"Then let's have a fight!" Natsu suddenly pipped in.

"No, Natsu."Sakura whinned, turning to face the Dragon Slayer. "I'm tired and-"

The pink haired girl was interupted as Natsu took a hold of her glasses and promptly ripped them from her face. The brash movement flicked her hair in the air and over her face, making it hard for everyone to see her eyes. There was a moment of silence as everyone in the guild waited for Sakura to react. Lucy and Gray visibly tensed, leaning further into the bar so they were out of Sakura's range of attack.

"So..."Natsu began, stepping closer so he and Sakura were inches apart. "What do you say?"

Suddenly, Sakura's head snapped up. Her green eyes blazed with determination and fury as she smacked their foreheads together. The grin on Natsu's face seemed to stretch to his ears as blood trickled from his forehead and down his nose.

"You're on."


	2. Garden Gaurdian

Bright eyes open to stare at the teen watching her silently in the distance. Natsu has that excited look in his eye and the way his lips twitch in anticipation is almost scary, but oddly normal. He's ready for this match and so is she, he can just feel it like he can feel the growing excitement from the people watching them. The mages of Fairy Tail have all lined up, creating a makeshift battle field for the two.

Cana sat slightly far away from them and the crowd to collect her bet money. Though every mage in Fairy Tail loved eachother dearly, there was no harm in putting money down for a simple game of luck. Besides, if they played their cards right, they might just win a few jewels to last the entire month's rent. That was a chance no one was willing to lose. Which is why dozens of mages hollored out for their favorite pink mage to claim victory.

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her long locks, ignoring the loud chatter to keep her calm. While the cheering from her fans was enough to keep her energized, she knew it was wrong to act foolishly during battle.

_"One wrong move and it's all over."_ Her mentor chided. _"And one wrong move is the cost of the only life you have."_

Her teacher's words truly struck home for the young mage, more than she would have liked had it not been true. Her eyes glazed over as a familiar picture danced through her mind. She clenched her teeth in determination and tightened her fists at her sides. There was no way she was going to mess up again. She wasn't sure if she could handle the pain again.

"Hey, Sakura!" A voice called out, making her flinch in it's direction. "Are we fighting or what?"

Natsu stood before her, arms crossed over his chest as he tapped his foot unpatiently. His fans around him each had that eager look on their faces, arms crossed and eyes just begging for a good battle as they each bellowed a taunt.

Sakura didnt bother to speak as someone behind her grabbed her shoulders and rubbed soothing circles through her back. Sakura relaxed into the grip, using it as her way to keep herself in control of herself, of her large temper.

"Awww shut up, Natsu." Loke shouted from the small girl's side, instantly taking her side over Natsu's. "You'll fight soon enough! Let her get ready!"

With one final sigh, she cracked her knuckles and made her way towards the center of their battlefield, where Erza stood waiting for them. Natsu was eager to join her, smiling as he pumped his arms for action. The red glanced between the two and gave a sharp nod. "Alright, you two, let's see a good fight! The first person to hit the ground loses!"

The crowd of mages cheered, fueling the energy burning inside of them. "Fine with me." Natsu said with a smirk.

Sakura nodded in agreement, a cheery grin finding its awy on her face. "Me too!" She said.

"Alright then!" Erza cried. "Let the match...begin!"

Once Erza slid out of the way, the two leaped at eachother, limbs kicking and punching at eachother with incredible speed. It was almost hard for Lucy to keep up, just looking at their blurs of body movement was making her dizzy. But as she glanced at everyone around her, it didnt seem to hard for them to know exactly what was going on. Even Happy seemed to catch where every limb was leading to. Shaking her head in belief, Lucy gasped in wonder. "H-How are they moving so fast?" She whispered.

"You're just starting as a mage so I guess it would be a harder for you to see them." Gray said from beside her. His arms were crossed and his eyes were completely fixated on the match. He gave a grunt of approval as Sakura suddenly jumped back from the fray and sent a spinning kick to Natsu's face, but the teen didnt go down. He shot forward, trying to tackle her to the ground, but she caught him in her legs and did a handstand, sending them both backwards and back onto their feet. Eventually they picked up their rythym again and were back into their blurs and colors.

"What's that suppoesd to mean?" The Stellar Mage asked, looking up at the dark haired teen. But before he got the chance to answer, Happy crawled into her lap and waved a tiny paw int he air. "No disrespect, Lucy, but you're not ready to see this yet."

Lucy scowled at him. "Are you trying to say, I'm too weak?"

Happy turned to look at her and smiled. "Yup!"

The blonde nearly fell over due to the sharp words of Happy's cheery words. "He doesn't even try to be nice about it."

Gray would have smiled at the two if it weren't for the fact he was so drawn into the fight in front of him. He hadn't seen Sakura for an entire month, there was no letter, no call, just an awkward goodbye. But now, here she was in front of him, duking it out with all the skill in the world that she had. And she was doing a mighty fine job at it but for some strange reason, something just seemed off about her. A loud voice broke him from his daze as the intensity of the fight grew.

"You'll never win like that." Sakura said smiling as she dodged a fist to her chest.

"And you'll never win just standing there, _Forehead Girl."_ Natsu chuckled, knowing he hit a soft spot. He flipped over backwards as Sakura suddenly went stiff and clipped her in the chin. The girl reacted quickly, catching herself and rolling back in a summersault before she hit the ground. Her head was bowed as she stood up, eyes covered in a shadow. Gray huffed a sigh as the girl suddenly began to shake.

"Oh boy, there at it again." He said with a shake of his head. Happy chuckled beside him, choosing not to acknowledge Lucy's questioning gaze. "Of course, they are."

"Who. Are. You. " The pinkette began in a snarl. "Calling..._Forehead girl?!"_

The ground suddenly began to shake around them as Sakura slowly began to raise her arms up over her head. A cerulean colored light appeared above her, glowing brightly as she cupped it in between her delicate fingers. Natsu chuckled as both his dark red seal and Sakura's bright pink seal appear at their feet. Finally, this match was getting somewhere!

"What's with that book she's using?" Lucy asked.

"It's called a Grimoire." Gray said.

"Grimoire?"

The ice mage gave a nod, continuing to keep his dark eyes on Sakura and Natsu's intense match. "It's a spell book, filled with incantations and talismans for the reader to use. It's a type of Caster magic."

"A spell book?" The blonde gasped and turned back to Sakura. "Now I know why she looked so familiar! That's Sakura Haruno, the Garden Gaurdian!"

Gray looked at her. "You're a fan?"

"Sort of. I've read about her but there's not much to see. Her bio only gives her a description of the magic she uses nothing more. Which is why I didnt know who she was at first." Lucy said with a shrug, noting the way Gray's suddenly became distant. Almost as if he was contemplating her words.

"No holding back anymore, Sakura!" He shouted.

"It's all or nothing!" Sakura cried.

Water sprouted from the ground in Sakura's seal, dancing around her as they surrounded the light in her hands. Sakura grasped the light into her hands, tugging a book the same design as the white one she held earlier. It was a dark blue decorated with strange symbols and stitched with waves at the side.

"It was white before." Lucy looked confused. "But it's blue now."

"It's a different book. One of her favorites, actually." Gray pointed out. "She can switch between different books with her Requip, like Bisca and Erza."

With her head bowed, Sakura clutches the book close to her chest feeling it practically pulsate with magic in her grip. Her voice seemed to change as she spoke, dropping into a quiet monotone.

"_Nekomata..."_Sakura begins to chant as she watches the flames swirl around Natsu. His bent backwards slightly, chest expanded as his cheeks puff with fire.

"_Fire Dragon's..."_ He cries, and cups his hands in front of his mouth, using it to guide his flames in Sakura's direction.

"_BLUE!"_

_"ROAR!"_

Natsu's flames shoot from his lips as all the water Sakura had come to collect collide with eachother. Blues and reds mix in the air and on the battle field as the opposing elements clash. For a moment it seems Natsu has the upperhand until Sakura presses forward, water rippling around her to push him back. Then a large explosion ignites in front of them, throwing the teens far through the air. Sakura flexes her body so her stomach faces the ground, digging her nails and the balls of her feet into the ground as she lands to keep herself balanced. Natsu does the same but stands on both his feet without much difficulty. The crowd cheers as the two lunge at eachother again, sending flame and water engulfed limbs at eachother. Sakura manages to keep her glowing book clutched at her chest with one arm, allowing the excess water she had to protect her from any of Natsu's blows she had missed.

Sakura lets out a gasp as Natsu finally sends a flamed elbow at her chest, sending her sky rocketing in the air. Her water isn't fast enough or strong enough to keep her grounded as she thrown, giving Natsu the opportunity to attack while she was defenseless. But he misses the glow of Sakura's book as she mutters a chant under her breath.

"_Blue Or__b!" _Water gushes from the pages of her book, wrapping her in an orb of water as Natsu's fists pounded fervently at the barrier.

"They're not stopping." Lucy cried over the Fairy mages cheers. Gray was closer to her now, shielding her from the splashes and the flares that get too close to them. She would have thanked him if her breath hadnt been taken away by the stunning scene. Gray nodded to her statement. "If you think Natsu and I are bad with our rivalry, it's definately worse when Sakura's around."

"It's always been that way." Happy chimed.

The water from Sakura's Blue Orb suddenly began to shift from it's original shape. It stayed in a orb around the pinkette but thick ribbons of water sprouted like a flower and shot forward like darts homing in on its target. _"Tempest Major!"_

Natsu quickly backed off, thrusting his arms forward and firing his magic to keep away from Sakura's water. But it followed him even as he angled himself through the air far away from the pinkette. He circled around the girl until he was behind her, flying at her with an incredible speed. Sakura didnt have enough time react before he was barging through her orb-like shield and tackling her towards the ground. Water and fire twisted around them as Sakura tried to take control of their descent. She forced Natsu beneath her, trying to force him to be the first to hit the ground, but he pushed her back over, hands burning into her shoulders. She cried out in pain, throwing funnels of water at him as they spiralled to the ground.

It was impossible to see who hit the ground first as they slammed into the ground, smoke flying every where around them. By the time the smoke had cleared, Sakura and Natsu were both on their back, gasping greedily for air. Sakura's chest heaved heavier than Natsu's as burns paraded her body. Natsu was wet from head to toe as he clutched his chest in pain. The water Sakura threw at him was nowhere near gentle and was sure to leave bruises on his skin.

Erza raised her hand briskly as she made a decision. "Draw!" She cried out.

There was silence from the Fairy Tail mages as everyone tried to take in what they saw and heard. Until people from different directions began to cheer and scream until everyone had joined in. Gray helped Sakura to her feet and brushed off all the ash and dirt on her skin while Erza did the same to Natsu. The pink haired mages stared at one another, faces void of emotion for a moment too a moment the guild was worried as the mages moved from their aids and stood before eachother with their heads bowed.

Then at the same time, the two latched onto eachother, an arm swung around the other's shoulder in a half hug. The shadows that crossed their faces from their hair disappeared from view, revealing the pure joy bright in their eyes. Sakura nuzzled Natsu in the nape of his neck, a wide smile big enough to match his as they laughed together.

All the passion and complete dedication in that battle was overwhelming for the two of them. With each punch and each brush of magic left a jerk of energy in them both and it was brilliant just knowing the two seemed to sync from beginnning to end. It was impossible to see a bond anywhere else other than in Fairy Tail.

"You've gotten better, Natsu." Sakura said brightly. "I didn't think you could do it!"

"Of course I could! I'm the almighty Dragonslayer!" The roset bellowed with laughter, tightening his grip almost painfully around her shoulders. But the girl didnt seem to care, she welcomed the feeling with a dangerous grip of her own.

"Alright, alright, you two." Makarov said with a clap of his hands. "That's enough for today. You've done enough damage."

Taking a look around, the two finally noticed the soaked streets and the burnt buildings up and down the large street they were in. It hadnt occurred to them that they had gone so far. "The Council will definately calling about this." Makarov said with a sigh and shake of his balding head.

"For now..." He said, turning his head to Sakura with a smile. "LET'S PARTY!"

* * *

><p>Sakura sighed as she grabbed the rest of her bags from the guild and threw them on her shoulder. The burns from Natsu's flames still hurt but the medicine Mira gave her was starting to kick in. Just as she was saying her goodbyes and down the street towards Fairy Hills, she noticed a sudden presence beside her. She glanced to her right and nearly jumped a few feet in the air as she came face to face with a half naked Gray.<p>

"Yo." He said with a nonchalant wave.

"Don't "yo" me!" Sakura cried, punching the ice mage in the arm. The dark haired teen groaned loudly, rubbing the abused spot with a gentle hand as he glared half-heartedly at the small girl.

"Ow!" He cried. "What'd you hit me for?"

"What'd you sneak up on me for?"

"I was just trying to see if you'd be alright walking home by yourself." Gray said. "You left the party pretty early."

Sakura's left eye twitched as she tilted her head to the side. The light from the setting sun clouded her eyes under a glare. "What? You think I can't handle myself?"

"No!" Gray cried, waving his hands frantically. "I mean, I just wanted to make sure. You know how I am, Sakura." The teen whispered.

_You know how protective I get over you..._

He raised his hand and delicately brushed a strand of Sakura's hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry but it's just been so long since I've heard from you. I was worried."

Sakura's face flushed pink, turning her gaze to the ground as she briskly moved forward. Gray easily caught up with her, smiling softly at her sudden embarresment. "You don't have to." She muttered.

Gray raised a questioning brow. "Don't have to what?"

"Worry about me, you know." Sakura said. "I don't want to be a burden anymore."

_I don't want to get in the way anymore..._

"Hey."Gray stopped her, gripping her wrist firmly in his hand as they stood outside Fairy Hills' gates. He made her face him by tilting her chin in his fingers so they stared eye to eye. "You've never been a burden, Sakura. And you never will be. You're stronger than that and don't let anyone tell you that you're not."

Glossy green eyes stared up at Gray, filled with an emotion he couldn't quite put his finger on. But he smiled at her, pressing his thumb under an eye that was suddenly getting to wet. "You're special, Sakura."

The pink haired girl gently pushed his hand away and placed a hand over her thumping chest, afraid the teen would hear should it get too loud. "Look at Gray, trying to be the _cool_ guy." She said, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"Don't really need to try." He said with a shrug.

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "Is this how you treat all the girls?"

Dark eyes narrowed at the Gaurdian, quickly making her heart clench. "Only you."

The boy leaned in closer, all intentions evident as he gripped Sakura's waist gently. For a second it seemed like Sakura was moving into meet him halfway until she suddenly flinched back, seperating herself before they got too close. She pressed herself up against the gate until it squeaked open and without a glance towards the ice maker, she whispered a quiet good night and disappeared.

Gray watched her leave until she disappeared into the dormitory and huffed a sigh. Opening the palm of his hand, the same hand that had rested on Sakura's waist seconds ago and shook his head. This would be love attempt number seventy four on his count. More like 'failed' love attempt. With a growl, he kicked angrilly at the ground and continued his trudge home, mentally kicking himself for coming on too fast. But it was so hard for him to contain himself now that she was in arms reach again. But even with that being the case, he knew they would never get any farther than just rivals, just friends. No matter how much they both knew they wanted to be so much more.

What kept holding her back?

* * *

><p>From behind the Fairy Hills front door, Sakura threw her bags on the ground and slid to the floor. She clenched her head tightly in her hands as she let out a frustrated cry.<p>

"How much longer?" She whimpered with a violent shake of her head. "How much longer do I have to lie to them?"

No one answered her but the silence did greet her. There was no one in the dormitory, not even the old lady who owned the place. Everyone was still at the guild, probably partying their hearts out for Sakura's return. She hated to leave out of her own party but she couldnt take much more of the fake laughter and the forced smiles.

She hated having to lie to them.

But she couldn't _stand_ lying to _him _even more.


	3. Memories

_So, IM BACK and so sorry to have been gone for so long! Surprisingly, this chapter was pretty easy to write when I jumped back into it. Probably, because I had been mulling over it for weeks. Anyway, GO BACK AND READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS. I have updated them. _

_I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

><p>Sakura opened her eyes the moment the light from her window gazed upon her. She turned herself around in her oversized bed and glanced at the clock sitting at her bedside. The metal clock was nearly silent as it's hand easily shifted to seven o'clock in the morning. Sakura sighed and slumped heavily into her plush pillow.<p>

_Yet, another sleepless night, _she thought sadly. Ever since she had returned home, Sakura had been tossing and turning, her thoughts filled with Gray. She felt bad for the way she had left him at the gate of Fairy Hills and it kept her up all night, tossing and turning. She just couldn't seem to break his longing face from her vision, she could practically see it every time she closed her eyes.

Sakura quickly shook her head the moment the picture of his sad face returned to her. She had to distance herself now or she would never be able to handle herself in the future. Her teacher had always told her to never grow attached to things that would never stay forever. She would think after all these years she would understand that by now.

_"Sakura," Her mentor chided, his only eye looking down at her in disapproval. "You have to hit the target before it goes away."_

_At the young age of seven, Sakura looked up at her grey haired mentor and whimpered. She turned away and stared at the creature only a few feet away from her, seemingly unsuspecting of the danger it was in. Her 'target' was a small rabbit, one that Sakura had seen and befriended whenever she returned to this area of the forest. The small animal would always return at the early hours of the day, sniffing and snuffling at Sakura until she gave up the treats she had for it. Sakura knew the thing only came around for food but she had come to adore it, nonetheless. Somehow, her mentor had caught it, like he had done many other creatures in the forest, for her daily target practice. _

_"Can't I go back to aiming at the bullseye on the tree?" She asked quietly. The man only stared at her, his dark eye boring into her with no emotion. Sakura waited for her response but after awhile of not receiving one, she returned her attention to the rabbit. It had gotten closer to her now, sniffing at Sakura as it waited patiently for it's daily snack._

_"Hit it, Sakura."_

_The command was soft and gentle but Sakura flinched as if she had been hit. She didn't want to hit the poor animal, especially when it had done nothing wrong. It was her friend, the only thing that didn't call her names, or hit her when she made mistakes. She didn't know she was speaking out loud until her teacher had placed a hand on her shoulder. _

_"You're a mage of Sound, Sakura." He said, "You have no friends."_

_The realization hit Sakura like a bucket of cold water. Finally, someone had said and crushed all the life out of her in the process. That's right, she was a mage, and a mage of Sound, at that. They had a mission to complete and that meant no one could show emotion, no one could show weakness, and no one could have friends. Before she had even realized what she was doing, Sakura raised her hand and the kunai she gripped with it and swiftly threw in between the rabbit's eyes. The small animal instantly fell, not a noise leaving it as Sakura literally watched the life drain from his eyes. _

_Her teacher patted her head, a grim look on his masked face. "You can't grow attached anymore, Sakura. You only lose more people that way."_

_Sakura looked up at her mentor, her green eyes nearly as emotionless as his remaining eye. Her teacher stared down at her, brushed aside her tears, and turned away before she could see his own. _

The sound of Sakura's alarm suddenly broke her from her reverie and she sighed roughly. Now, that she had returned to Magnolia Town, it was only right that she put in some work at the guild. Throwing back at her blankets and walking into her closet, Sakura set out to get ready for the day. When the fear of seeing Gray again nipped at her stomach, she chose to ignore it until the pain eased.

Unfortunately, it only grew worse when he became the first person she saw as she walked through Fairy Tail's doors. He was leaning on the side of the many pillars that lined itself throughout the building, almost as if he had been waiting for her. Sakura froze, worried as to how she was supposed to react in his presence. Just as she turned to face him, she noticed the boy was beginning to sway, his dark eyes narrowing with confusion. Sakura's fear instantly turned to worry as she reached out to him. A wave of fatigue suddenly hit her the second she moved.

Gray was quick to steady her. "This must be..." He said through gritted teeth.

Sakura tried to form the words with him but it felt as though all of her energy was being swept away. She didn't get a chance to see how other people were reacting before Gray fell, instantly dragging Sakura down with him as he went. One by one the Fairy Tail members began to fall or hunched over in their seats as they were dragged into a deep slumber. Glasses fell and eyes gently fell shut as the cause of it all ventured closer to their guild.

The only one that seemed capable of staying awake through it all was Makarov. The older man stifled a yawn to the sleep magic but managed to stay awake through it all. He watched with a small scowl as a figure appeared before him and his unsuspecting guild mates. The figure wore dark and torn robes that covered his body from head to toe. Even his eyes were difficult to see as his dark blue head gear cast a shadow over the top of his face. The man moved swiftly and elegantly over the sleeping mages until he stopped in front of the mission board in the back of the building. He seemed uninterested in the type of mission and what rank it was, choosing to grab a random sheet and walked away with it.

Makarov glared at the man as he laid the mission out in front of him. "Mystogun." He said in quiet greeting.

The other man, 'Mystogun', regarded him for a moment before sliding the paper closer to him. "I'm leaving."

Annoyed by his rude gesture, Makarov snapped. "Turn off your sleep magic!"

Any other member would have instantly moved into action at the guild master's request, but Mystogun didn't seem all that worried. He turned away, stepping over more members as he went, and counted down his departure. The closer he got to one, the lighter Makarov felt the sleep magic get lighter. Eventually, the spell had disappeared, taking Mystogun along with it.

Instantly, the sleeping mages began to awake, returning to their seats and fixing things that were moved out of place. They moved groggily as they grumbled to each other their discomfort.

"Geez, does he always have to use such strong sleep magic?" One mage grumbled.

Lucy gasped as she jumped awake, watching as the rest of her friends did the same. "That damn Mystogun..." The blonde quirked a brow at that, confusion written all over her face. It seemed the longer she stayed at Fairy Tail, the harder it became to understand what was 'normal' in this crazy guild.

Sakura sprung herself forward and into a sitting position the moment she gained consciousness. Her head was still groggy but at least something had cushioned her fall before she fell asleep. She looked down to inspect her 'cushion' when she realized she was sitting directly in Gray's lap, who had chosen at the very moment to suddenly go shirtless. The boy was still waking up, unaware of the flustered mage sitting on top of him.

"Ugh, was it Mystogun again?" The ice mage struggled to get a hold of himself.

"Gray." Dark eyes looked up at the sound of his name being growled. He blanched at the sight of Sakura sitting on top of him, porcelain face blushing a tomato red. He instantly raised his hands away before she could possibly accuse him of doing anything perverted.

"I promise you I only caught you before you cou-"

Gray stopped himself mid-sentence. Sakura's glasses were off, he noticed. There was no reasoning with her now. He only had one fleeting moment as Sakura grabbed him by his shoulders, her grip unbearably strong as she lifted him up and over her shoulder. The ice mage went spiraling into the bar, just barely missing Mirajane standing behind it. Sakura faintly heard Happy calling another K.O. in the distance as she fixed her glasses.

"How dare you try to cop of feel!" She mumbled under her breath. "Trying to use Mystogan as an excuse."

There was that name again, Lucy thought slightly irritably. "Who is Mystogun?"

Leon, who hadn't been too far from Lucy was first to speak up. "He's practically one of the strongest mages of Fairy Tail. He's in line for possibly being _the_ strongest mage we have here.'

There was silence as the Stellar mage looked up in surprise towards Leon. The man could barely say two words to her without breaking into a sweat. Yet, here he was speaking to her so nonchalantly. If only for a second. The moment he realized who he was talking to, the spikey haired teen widened the amount of distance in between them. Lucy didn't seem to notice, she was more surprised that she had just witness one of Fairy Tail's strongest mages at work.

Sakura picked up from where he had left off. "He doesn't like for us to see him, for some reason. So he puts us to sleep in order to grab a job off the board."

"All that because he doesn't want to be seen?!"

The pink haired mage shrugged. "Makarov-sama is the only one who has seen his face, apparently."

"No. I've seen it too." A voice pierced through the quiet guild. All eyes turned their attention to a spikey haired blonde leaning against the railing of the second floor. His rock music could be heard despite his distance, but that didn't seem to deter him from hearing their conversation.

A few members gave a surprised murmur. "Since when were you hear, Luxus?"

Lucy looked up to Sakura for more information but it was Gray that answer her. The ice mage suddenly appearing at her side. "That's also a candidate for Fairy Tail's strongest."

Lucy felt herself get flustered with all of these new and powerful members she was suddenly meeting. She knew Fairy Tail was popular and strong but she didn't think they would be this overwhelming. Though not many of the other members seemed all too impressed by it. The people Lucy seemed to affiliate herself with the most looked as if they had no care in the world who was the strongest. Well, all except for Natsu.

"Luxus! Get down here and fight me, you bastard!" He shouted.

"But you just lost to Erza." Someone pointed out.

"Yeah, and you _just_ got a draw to Sakura! Don't get too cocky, Natsu."

"SHUT UP!"

Luxus laughed. "They're right, Natsu. If you can't beat some low class mages like them, what makes you think you can beat me?"

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped as the red and pink haired mage stepped a little closer to the stairs Luxus was leaning on. They obviously were more than a little bit upset about Luxus' accusations. Gray grabbed a hold of each of their hands, stopping them before they could get too close.

"Hey, calm down." He mumbled, the last thing they needed was to destroy the entire guild with such a petty little fight.

"Why don't you come on up here?" Luxus taunted. "All three of you should come up here and face me now if you really think you can handle me."

Natsu was the first to spring into movement. He jumped nearly a few feet away from reaching Luxus when a large hand reached out and slammed like a bug into the floor. The oversized hand stretched itself from the bar area, where it was connected to a glaring Makarov.

"Knock it off, Natsu." He said. "You know you're not allowed up there."

"The second floor?" Lucy looked up in confusion. "What's wrong with going up there?"

"The second floor is for S-class mages only." Gray said. "Of course, Erza can go up there but people like us have to stay here where rank isn't an issue."

The blonde gave a loud laugh from his position above everyone else. "You call yourselves mages of Fairy Tail. Don't make me laugh! None of you can compare to me. Not even the old man!"

_And there he goes again, blathering off at the mouth like he usually does, _Sakura thought with a shake of her head, which didn't go unnoticed by the Stellar mage.

Lucy can tell from the roll of the other member's eyes and Makarov's silence that this is a recurring thing in this guild. Now she sees why Gray and the others hadn't been all too happy to see Luxus. He seemed like a complete and utter jerk, if you asked her.

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><p>By the time things managed to cool down around the guild, Sakura had already been long gone, her new mission tucked away in her hand. If she was lucky, she would be able to finish the job earlier than expected and take a much needed rest. Her eyes grew cold as she watched the moon begin to glow in it's place in the sky.<p>

_"Remember Sakura, you don't have very long to complete this mission." Her teacher had warned her. "Orochimaru, won't wait much longer"_

_The pink haired girl nodded, grabbing her bag and swinging it over her shoulder. She was ready to for her mission yet again, though she was sad to be leaving her teacher once more. She knew he was lonely, locked away in the imprisonment she had been born in, but there was nothing she could do. Until she completed the mission, they both would be prisoners to this awful village._

_"Hey," Her teacher grabbed her by the chin and lifted it so she was looking at him. "Don't rush things for my sake. I'm not going anywhere."_

_Liar. _

_Sakura could tell from the look in his eye. The longer she stayed away, the worse he seemed to become. The last time she saw him he had a rounder but firm face. Although he was constantly fighting and working, he seemed healthy. But now, after nearly three years of being away, he looked thinner and there were bags under his eye. Her heart clenched at the sight of him and he knew from her silence that his lies wouldn't do much for her anymore. He turned her by her shoulder and gathered her into his arms. _

_"I promise you, Sakura." He said. "Everything will be alright."_

_"You promise?" She looked up at him, hope burning in her eyes. He nodded at her and for the first time, his smile actually seemed genuine. _

"Wait for me, sensei." Sakura whispered to herself and continued her stroll home. She stopped, however, when she felt a presence not too far away. She turned to her left, were the lone river streamed beside her but still didn't see anyone. Then she turned to her right, just barely coming across a lone and very dark alleyway. She continued to walk, although she eyed the alley way warily as she passed it.

Bang!

The sound of something falling behind her made her flinch and jump into action. Her blue book of the Nekomata instantly appeared in her hands ready for her to attack until she realized who her guest was. Gray, the ice mage, looked up at her in embarrassment at being caught. The sound of the loud noise was him bumping into one of the many merchant tables that littered this street's path.

"Gray!"

"Yo." He said sheepishly, "I wasn't following you honest."

Sakura glared at him with a roll of her eyes but didn't say anything. Of course, he wasn't following her. Especially when his apartment was in the opposite direction of Fairy Hills. Unaware of her mental bashing, Gray took notice to the Grimoire in her hand.

"What's with the grimoire?" He asked, with a scowl.

Sakura fought the flinch she felt coming on and twisted herself from facing him. All at once, she continued to move and returned her book safely in the confides of her Requip. "It's none of your business."

Gray easily caught up to her, cutting her off with a shout. "It is my business!" Sakura stood frozen as she looked up at him. "You've been acting really strange lately, Sakura. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"Noticed what?" She shouted back.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?!"

Sakura was ready to respond when the eerie feeling she had felt earlier had returned ten fold. She stopped whatever she was going to say to scowl in the direction it was coming from. It felt strange to make the accusation, but looked as though the shadows of the alley had suddenly gotten darker. What was going on?

"What are you looking at?" Gray asked, turning to look down the same alley, but Sakura quickly stepped in his line of vision.

"Nothing."

Gray narrowed his dark eyes at her. "What are you hiding? What's ov-"

The ice mage stopped when he noticed something moving from the corner of his eye. On the other side of the river was Natsu and Happy, giggling to themselves as they ran down the street. It wouldn't have been strange to Gray if he didn't happen to know they were going in the direction of Lucy's place, especially when he knew she was still at the party. Gray continued to glare at the two when he spotted something flapping in Happy's tiny paws. It looked like a sheet of paper.

Something cold and dreadful pooled in Gray's gut as he realized what it was in his hand. "Those idiots!" He grumbled, taking off after them.

"What are you doing?" Sakura called after him.

"Those idiots must have stolen an S-Class job from the guild."

"What?!"

Gray motioned for her to follow. "We have to stop them! Come on!"

Sakura watched as the ice mage ran off but turned her attention back to the alley way. The darkness she had seemed to eased down since she last looked but that was probably her imagination.

"Are you coming?" Gray called after her, breaking her from her trance. Reluctantly she nodded and followed Gray's lead through the city. Unaware of the shadow watching from behind her.

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><p><em>Phew! Finished!<em>

_So sorry for that wait, I swear I will try harder to update a lot faster. But with school and practice, I might only be able to update every one or two weeks. So please be patient with me. I promise I wont disappear again like before. Thank you to all those that reviewed before and put up with my crap. _

_Please Review!_


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